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The complete cleaning of cages has been shown to reduce the level of inter_male aggression in mice. This study investigated the effects of the addition of enrichment objects on post cage cleaning aggression in male BALB/c mice. Enrichment objects were found to significantly reduce aggressive interactions during this period for up to 7 weeks, and can make an overall economic saving to husbandry costs.

Aggression. --- Aggressive. --- Cage. --- Cleaning. --- Cost. --- Costs. --- Enrichment. --- Husbandry. --- Interaction. --- Interactions. --- Level. --- Male. --- Mice. --- Mouse. --- Object. --- Objects.

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Aggression. --- Cleaning. --- Environment. --- Group size. --- Laboratory mice. --- Laboratory. --- Level. --- Male. --- Mice. --- Social interaction. --- Space allowance.

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Noise levels (sound pressure levels, SPLs) were monitored over 24 and 48 h in a number of different types of kennels including shelters, training establishments and research laboratories. Two measures of SPL were used, L-peak and L-eq over both low (1 Hz-20 kHz) and high (12.5-70 kHz) frequency ranges and using a linear weighting. At most sites the noise levels followed a diurnal pattern; levels were generally low and relatively constant overnight, increased gradually in the early morning and then fluctuated during the working day. Levels decreased in the evening at different times depending on the local regimes. In one facility near railway lines the diurnal pattern was less obvious. During the day L-peak values regularly exceeded 100 dB and often reached 125 dB; L-eq values were between 65 and 100 dB. The high noise levels were caused mainly by barking, but husbandry procedures such as cleaning also contributed to them, The noise levels recorded here may have welfare implications. If this is shown to be the case, it is not yet clear what are the best methods of reducing the levels. There is currently a lack of adequate guide lines for noise levels in dog kennels. The current work has highlighted an area of concern in dog husbandry that urgently needs to be addressed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V

Area. --- Barking. --- Boxes. --- Canis-familiaris. --- Cleaning. --- Dog. --- Dogs. --- Frequency. --- Housing. --- Husbandry. --- Kennels. --- Laboratory. --- Level. --- Life. --- Method. --- Need. --- Needs. --- Noise. --- Pattern. --- Research. --- Shelter. --- Shelters. --- Sleep. --- Sound-pressure. --- Sound. --- Time. --- Training. --- Weighting. --- Welfare. --- Work.

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Aggression in group-housed male mice is known to be influenced by both cage size and group size. However, the interdependency of these two parameters has not been studied yet. In this study, the level of aggression in groups of three, five, or eight male BALB/c mice housed in cages with a floor size of either 80 or 125 cm(2)/animal was estimated weekly after cage cleaning for a period of 14 weeks. Furthermore, urine corticosterone levels, food and water intake, body weight, and number of wounds were measured weekly. At the end of the experiment, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity, testosterone levels, and weight of spleen, thymus, testes, and seminal vesicles were determined. Results indicate a moderate increase of intermale aggression in larger cages when compared to the smaller cages. Aggression in soups of eight animals was considerably higher than in groups of three animals. The increase of agonistic behavior was observed both in dominant and subordinate animals. Physiological parameters indicate differences in stress levels between dominant and subordinate animals. It is concluded that aggressive behavior in group-housed male BALB/c mice is best prevented by housing the animals in small groups of three to five animals, while decreasing floor size per animal may be used as a temporary solution to decrease high levels of aggression in an existing social group. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved

Activity. --- Aggression. --- Aggressive-behavior. --- Aggressive. --- Agonistic. --- Animal. --- Animals. --- Behavior. --- Body weight. --- Body-weight. --- Cage size. --- Cage. --- Cleaning. --- Corticosterone. --- Crowding. --- Experiment. --- Floor. --- Food. --- Group size. --- Group. --- House mice. --- Housing. --- Increase. --- Laboratory mice. --- Level. --- Male-mice. --- Male. --- Mice. --- Modulation. --- Mus-musculus. --- Parameters. --- Physiological. --- Size. --- Social-behavior. --- Social. --- Stress. --- Testosterone levels. --- Testosterone. --- Time. --- Tyrosine. --- Urine. --- Weight. --- Welfare.

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In socially unstable groups of male laboratory mice, individuals may experience a chronic stress situation. Previous experiments have shown that the transfer of specific olfactory cues during cage cleaning, and the provision of nesting material decrease aggression and stress in group-housed male mice. In this study, the combined effect of these husbandry procedures were tested for their long-term effect on stress in groups of moderately aggressive (BALB/c) and severely aggressive (CD-1) male mice. The physiological and behavioural stress-related parameters used were body weight, food and water intake, spleen and thymus weight, adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase activity, urine corticosterone levels and behaviour in a cage emergence test. Long-term provision of nesting material and its transfer during cage cleaning was found to influence several stress-related physiological parameters. Mice housed in cages enriched with nesting material had lower urine corticosterone levels and heavier thymuses, and they consumed less food and water than standard-housed mice. Furthermore, marked differences were found between strains. CD-1 mice were less anxious in the cage emergence test, weighed more, ate and drank more, and had heavier thymuses but lighter spleens and lower corticosterone levels than BALB/c mice. We conclude that the long-term provision of nesting material, including the transfer of nesting material during cage cleaning, reduces stress and thereby enhances the welfare of laboratory mice

Activity. --- Adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase. --- Adrenal. --- Aggression. --- Aggressive-behavior. --- Aggressive. --- Behaviour. --- Body weight. --- Body-weight. --- Cage. --- Cages. --- Chronic stress. --- Cleaning. --- Corticosterone levels. --- Corticosterone. --- Cues. --- Enriched. --- Environmental enrichment. --- Experience. --- Experiment. --- Experiments. --- Food. --- Group. --- Husbandry. --- Inbred strains. --- Laboratory mice. --- Laboratory. --- Level. --- Long-term. --- Male dba/2j mice. --- Male laboratory mice. --- Male mice. --- Male-mice. --- Male. --- Mice. --- Modulation. --- Mouse. --- Nesting material. --- Olfactory cues. --- Olfactory. --- Parameters. --- Physiological. --- Provision. --- Rats. --- Stress. --- Test. --- Time. --- Tyrosine-hydroxylase. --- Tyrosine. --- Urine. --- Weight. --- Welfare.